Vehicle assistance device and method

ABSTRACT

An example of a vehicle assistance method includes obtaining a surroundings image captured by at least one camera. The method then controls a converting unit to convert the obtained surroundings image into a birds-eye view. Next, the method determines a panorama area according to a rightmost road marker or a leftmost road marker, determines a detection area according to whether or not one or more road markers exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appear in the panorama area, and further determine whether one or more objects appear in the detection area. If yes, the method then obtains the humidity of air detected by a humidity sensor. Next, the method determines a camera corresponding to the birds-eye view when the obtained humidity of air is greater than the preset humidity value, and controls a driving device to turn on a pair of lights.

BACKGROUND

1. Related Applications

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/108,152 and a title of VEHICLE ASSISTANCE DEVICE AND METHOD, whichhas the same assignee as the current application and was concurrentlyfiled.

2. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to vehicle assistance devices, andparticularly, to a vehicle assistance device capable of automaticallyturning on lights of a vehicle.

3. Description of Related Art

Usually, a driver will determine whether to turn on the lights of avehicle when the humidity of air is greater than a preset humidityvalue. However, to turn on the lights of the vehicle, a manual action isrequired by the driver. Accordingly, there is a need for a new vehicleassistance device to resolve the above problems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The components of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, theemphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principlesof the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like referencenumerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle assistance deviceconnected with at least one camera, a converting unit, a humiditysensor, a driving device, and at least one pair of lights in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows an arrangement of the at least one camera and the at leastone light on a vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the surroundings image captured bythe at least one camera.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a vehicle assistance method in accordance withan exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments of the present disclosure are now described in detail,with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle assistance device1. The vehicle assistance device 1 is applied to a vehicle. The vehicleassistance device 1 is connected to at least one camera 2, a convertingunit 3, a humidity sensor 4, a driving device 5, and at least one pairof lights 6. The vehicle assistance device 1 can control the convertingunit 3 to convert at least one surroundings image captured by the atleast one camera 2 into a birds-eye view, to determine a detection area.Then, determine whether or not one or more objects appear in thedetection area. In addition, control the driving device 5 to turn on theat least one pair of lights 6 when one or more objects appear in thedetection area and the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 4 isgreater than a preset humidity value, to increase the visibility of thedriver.

In the embodiment, the number of cameras 2 is two. The cameras 2 arerespectively arranged on the front and the rear of the vehicle,respectively capture the surroundings in the front and in the rear ofthe vehicle, and respectively generate surroundings images. In otherembodiments, the number of the cameras 2 is four, and respectivelyarranged on the front, the left side, the right side, and the rear ofthe vehicle to capture the surroundings 360 degrees around the vehicle.Each captured surroundings image includes distance informationindicating the distance between one camera 2 and any object in the fieldof view of the camera 2. In the embodiment, the camera 2 is a Time ofFlight (TOF) camera. In the embodiment, there are two pairs of lights 6arranged on the front and the back of the vehicle. The surroundingsimage captured by each camera 3 can be used to control the turning on ofone pair of lights 6. For example, in FIG. 2, the surroundings imagecaptured by the camera 3 circled by dotted line can be used to controlthe on of the pair of lights 6 circled by dotted line, in addition, thesurroundings image captured by the camera 3 circled by broken line canbe used to control the on of the pair of lights 6 circled by brokenline.

The vehicle assistance device 1 including a processor 10, a storage unit20, and a vehicle assistance system 30. In the embodiment, the vehicleassistance system 30 includes an image obtaining module 31, a convertingmodule 32, a detecting module 33, an object determining module 34, ahumidity obtaining module 35, a humidity determining module 36, and anexecuting module 37. One or more programs of the above function modulesmay be stored in the storage unit 20 and executed by the processor 10.In general, the word “module”, as used herein, refers to logic embodiedin hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions,written in a programming language. The software instructions in themodules may be embedded in firmware, such as in an erasable programmableread-only memory (EPROM) device. The modules described herein may beimplemented as either software and/or hardware modules and may be storedin any type of computer-readable medium or other storage device.

The image obtaining module 31 obtains a surroundings image captured byeach camera 2.

The converting module 32 controls the converting unit 3 to convert theobtained surroundings image captured by each camera 2 into a birds-eyeview corresponding to each camera 2. The method that the converting unit32 converts the surroundings image into the birds-eye view is known inthe art, and it is not described in detailed herein.

The detecting module 33 determines whether or not a rightmost roadmarker or a leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view.In the embodiment, the rightmost road marker is the road marker, whichis the rightmost in all road markers of the birds-eye view, such as theobject labeled by 111 in FIG. 3. The leftmost road marker is the roadmarker, which is the leftmost in all road markers of the birds-eye view,such as the object labeled by 112 in FIG. 3.

The object determining module 34 determines a panorama area according toat least the rightmost road marker or the leftmost road marker when arightmost road marker or a leftmost road marker appears in at least onebirds-eye view. Then, determines a detection area of the at least onebirds-eye view according to whether or not one or more road markersexclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker(hereinafter exclusive road marker) appear in the panorama area. Theobject determining module 34 further compares the distance informationof each two adjacent pixels of the detection area, determines a distancedifference between the distances indicated by the two adjacent pixels ismore than a preset range, and further determines whether or not thenumber of the determined two adjacent pixels is more than a presetvalue. When the number of the determined two adjacent pixels is morethan the preset value, the object determining module 34 determines thatone or more objects appear in the detection area of the at least onebirds-eye view. When the number of the determined two adjacent pixels isless than the preset value, the object determining module 34 determinesthat no object appears in the detection area of the at least onebirds-eye view. Accordingly, the object determining module 34 determineswhether or not one or more objects exclusive the road marker appear inthe road of the at least one birds-eye view.

In detail, FIG. 3 shows that when the rightmost road marker and theleftmost road marker appear in at least one birds-eye view, the objectdetermining module 34 determines a geometry 113 constructed by therightmost road marker, the leftmost road marker, and two lines connectedbetween the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker, anddetermines the area of the geometry 113. In addition, determines a sideperpendicular to the geometry 113, determines a high of the side, andfurther determines that the panorama area is equal to the area of thegeometry 113 multiplied by the high of the side. When the rightmost roadmarker appears in at least one birds-eye view, the object determiningmodule 34 determines a geometry 113 constructed by the rightmost roadmarker, the leftmost side of the birds-eye view, and two lines connectedbetween the rightmost road marker and the leftmost side of the birds-eyeview, and determines the area of the geometry 113. In addition,determines a side perpendicular to the geometry 113, determines a highof the side, and further determines that the panorama area is equal tothe area of the geometry 113 multiplied by the high of the side. Whenthe leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, theobject determining module 34 determines a geometry 113 constructed bythe leftmost road marker, the rightmost side of the birds-eye view, andtwo lines connected between the leftmost road marker and the rightmostside of the birds-eye view, and determines the area of the geometry 113.In addition, determines a side perpendicular to the geometry 113,determines a high of the side, and further determines that the panoramaarea is equal to the area of the geometry 113 multiplied by the high ofthe side.

When one or more exclusive road marks appear in the panorama view, theobject determining module 34 determines that the detection area is thepanorama view without the one or more exclusive road marks. When noexclusive road mark appears in the panorama view, the object determiningmodule 34 determines that the detection area is the panorama view.

The humidity obtaining module 35 obtains the humidity of the airdetected by the humidity sensor 4 when one or more objects appear in thedetection area.

The humidity determining module 36 determines whether or not theobtained humidity of the air is greater than the preset humidity value.

The executing module 37 determines the at least one birds-eye view whenthe obtained humidity of the air is greater than the preset humidityvalue. Then, determines at least one camera 2 corresponding to the atleast one birds-eye view, and controls the driving device 5 to turn onat least one pair of lights 6 corresponding to the determined at leastone camera 2.

FIG. 4 shows a vehicle assistance method in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment.

In step S401, the image obtaining module 31 obtains a surroundings imagecaptured by each camera 2.

In step S402, the image converting module 32 controls the convertingunit 3 to convert the obtained surroundings image captured by eachcamera 2 into a birds-eye view corresponding to each camera 2.

In step S403, the detecting module 33 determines whether or not arightmost road marker or a leftmost road marker appears in at least onebirds-eye view. In the embodiment, the rightmost road marker is the roadmarker, which is the rightmost in all road markers of the birds-eyeview. The leftmost road marker is the road marker, which is the leftmostin all road markers of the birds-eye view. If the rightmost road markeror the leftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, theprocedure goes to step S404. If the rightmost road marker or theleftmost road marker does not appear in at least one birds-eye view, theprocedure goes to step S401.

In step S404, the object determining module 34 determines a panoramaarea according to at least the rightmost road marker or the leftmostroad marker. Then, determines a detection area of the at least onebirds-eye view according to whether or not one or more road markersexclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker(hereinafter exclusive road marker) appear in the panorama area. Inaddition, compares the distance information of each two adjacent pixelsof the detection area, determines a distance difference between thedistances indicated by the two adjacent pixels is more than a presetrange, and further determines whether or not the number of thedetermined two adjacent pixels is more than a preset value. If thenumber of the determined two adjacent pixels is more than the presetvalue, the object determining module 34 determines that one or moreobjects appear in the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view,the procedure goes to step S405. If the number of the determined twoadjacent pixels is less than the preset value, the object determiningmodule 34 determines no object appears in the detection area of the atleast one birds-eye view, the procedure goes to step S401.

In step S405, the humidity obtaining module 35 obtains the humidity ofair detected by the humidity sensor 4.

In step S406, the humidity determining module 36 determines whether ornot the obtained humidity of the air is greater than a preset humidityvalue. If the obtained humidity of the air is greater than the presethumidity value, the procedure goes to step S407. If the obtainedhumidity of the air is less than the preset humidity value, theprocedure goes to step S401.

In step S407, the executing module 37 determines the at least onebirds-eye view, determines at least one camera 2 corresponding to the atleast one birds-eye view, and controls the driving device 5 to turn onat least one pair of lights 6 corresponding to the determined at leastone camera 2.

Although the present disclosure has been specifically described on thebasis of the exemplary embodiment thereof, the disclosure is not to beconstrued as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications maybe made to the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit ofthe disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle assistance device comprising: a storagesystem; a processor; one or more programs stored in the storage system,executable by the processor, the one or more programs comprising: animage obtaining module operable to obtain a surroundings image capturedby at least one camera, each of the at least one surroundings imagecomprising a distance information indicating distances between thecorresponding camera and each object captured by the correspondingcamera; a converting module operable to control a converting unit toconvert the obtained surroundings image captured by each of the at leastone camera into a birds-eye view corresponding to each of the at leastone camera; a detecting module operable to determine whether or not arightmost road marker or a leftmost road marker appears in at least onebirds-eye view; an object determining module operable to determine apanorama area according to at least the rightmost road marker or theleftmost road marker when a rightmost road marker or a leftmost roadmarker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determine a detectionarea of the at least one birds-eye view according to whether or not oneor more road markers exclusive the rightmost road marker and theleftmost road marker appear in the panorama area, compare the distanceinformation of each two adjacent pixels of the detection area, determinea distance difference between the distances indicated by the twoadjacent pixels is more than a preset range, and further determinewhether or not the number of the determined two adjacent pixels is morethan a preset value, to determine whether or not one or more objectsappear in the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view; ahumidity obtaining module operable to obtain the humidity of airdetected by a humidity sensor when one or more objects appear in thedetection area of the at least one birds-eye view; and an executingmodule operable to determine the at least one birds-eye view when theobtained humidity of air is greater than the preset humidity value,determine at least one camera corresponding to the at least onebirds-eye view, and control a driving device to turn on at least onepair of lights corresponding to the determined at least one camera. 2.The vehicle assistance device as described in claim 1, wherein when therightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appear in at leastone birds-eye view, the object determining module is operable todetermine a geometry constructed by the rightmost road marker, theleftmost road marker, and two lines connected between the rightmost roadmarker and the leftmost road marker, determine the area of the geometry,determine a side perpendicular to the geometry, determine a high of theside, and further determine that the panorama area is equal to the areaof the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.
 3. The vehicleassistance device as described in claim 1, wherein when the rightmostroad marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, the objectdetermining module is operable to determine a geometry constructed bythe rightmost road marker, the leftmost side of the birds-eye view, andtwo lines connected between the rightmost road marker and the leftmostside of the birds-eye view, determine the area of the geometry,determine a side perpendicular to the geometry, determine a high of theside, and further determine that the panorama area is equal to the areaof the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.
 4. The vehicleassistance device as described in claim 1, wherein when the leftmostroad marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, the objectdetermining module is operable to determine a geometry constructed bythe leftmost road marker, the rightmost side of the birds-eye view, andtwo lines connected between the leftmost road marker and the rightmostside of the birds-eye view, determine the area of the geometry,determine a side perpendicular to the geometry, determine a high of theside, and further determine that the panorama area is equal to the areaof the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.
 5. The vehicleassistance device as described in claim 1, wherein when one or more roadmarks exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road markerappear in the panorama view, the object determining module is operableto determine that the detection area of the at least one birds-eye viewis the panorama view without the one or more road marks exclusive therightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker.
 6. The vehicleassistance device as described in claim 1, wherein when no road markexclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appearsin the panorama view, the object determining module is operable todetermine that the detection area is the panorama view.
 7. The vehicleassistance device as described in claim 1, wherein the rightmost roadmarker is the road marker which is the rightmost in all road markers ofthe birds-eye view; and the leftmost road marker is the road markerwhich is the leftmost in all road markers of the birds-eye view.
 8. Avehicle assistance method comprising: obtaining a surroundings imagecaptured by at least one camera, each of the at least one surroundingsimage comprising a distance information indicating distances between thecorresponding camera and each object captured by the correspondingcamera; controlling a converting unit to convert the obtainedsurroundings image captured by each of the at least one camera into abirds-eye view corresponding to each of the at least one camera;determining whether or not a rightmost road marker or a leftmost roadmarker appears in at least one birds-eye view; determining a panoramaarea according to at least the rightmost road marker or the leftmostroad marker when a rightmost road marker or a leftmost road markerappears in at least one birds-eye view, determining a detection area ofthe at least one birds-eye view according to whether or not one or moreroad markers exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost roadmarker appear in the panorama area; comparing the distance informationof each two adjacent pixels of the detection area, determining adistance difference between the distances indicated by the two adjacentpixels is more than a preset range, and further determining whether ornot the number of the determined two adjacent pixels is more than apreset value, to determine whether or not one or more objects appear inthe detection area of the at least one birds-eye view; obtaining thehumidity of air detected by a humidity sensor when one or more objectsappear in the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view; anddetermining the at least one birds-eye view when the obtained humidityof air is greater than the preset humidity value, determine at least onecamera corresponding to the at least one birds-eye view, and controllinga driving device to turn on at least one pair of lights corresponding tothe determined at least one camera.
 9. The vehicle assistance method asdescribed in claim 8, wherein the method further comprises: determininga geometry constructed by the rightmost road marker, the leftmost roadmarker, and two lines connected between the rightmost road marker andthe leftmost road marker when the rightmost road marker and the leftmostroad marker appear in at least one birds-eye view, determining the areaof the geometry; determining a side perpendicular to the geometry,determining a high of the side, and further determining that thepanorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by thehigh of the side.
 10. The vehicle assistance method as described inclaim 8, wherein the method further comprises: determining a geometryconstructed by the rightmost road marker, the leftmost side of thebirds-eye view, and two lines connected between the rightmost roadmarker and the leftmost side of the birds-eye view when the rightmostroad marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determining the areaof the geometry; determine a side perpendicular to the geometry,determining a high of the side, and further determining that thepanorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by thehigh of the side.
 11. The vehicle assistance method as described inclaim 8, wherein the method further comprises: determining a geometryconstructed by the leftmost road marker, the rightmost side of thebirds-eye view, and two lines connected between the leftmost road markerand the rightmost side of the birds-eye view when the leftmost roadmarker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determining the area ofthe geometry; determining a side perpendicular to the geometry,determine a high of the side, and further determining that the panoramaarea is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by the high of theside.
 12. The vehicle assistance method as described in claim 8, whereinthe method further comprises: determining that the detection area of theat least one birds-eye view is the panorama view without the one or moreroad marks exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost roadmarker when one or more road marks exclusive the rightmost road markerand the leftmost road marker appears in the panorama view.
 13. Thevehicle assistance method as described in claim 8, wherein the methodfurther comprises: determining that the detection area of the at leastone birds-eye view is the panorama view when no road mark exclusive therightmost road marker and the leftmost road marker appears in thepanorama view.
 14. The vehicle assistance method as described in claim8, wherein the rightmost road marker is the road marker which is therightmost in all road markers of the birds-eye view; and the leftmostroad marker is the road marker which is the leftmost in all road markersof the birds-eye view.
 15. A storage medium storing a set ofinstructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by aprocessor of a vehicle assistance device, cause the vehicle assistancedevice to perform a vehicle assistance method, the method comprising:obtaining a surroundings image captured by at least one camera, each ofthe at least one surroundings image comprising a distance informationindicating distances between the corresponding camera and each objectcaptured by the corresponding camera; controlling a converting unit toconvert the obtained surroundings image captured by each of the at leastone camera into a birds-eye view corresponding to each of the at leastone camera; determining whether or not a rightmost road marker or aleftmost road marker appears in at least one birds-eye view; determininga panorama area according to at least the rightmost road marker or theleftmost road marker when a rightmost road marker or a leftmost roadmarker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determining a detectionarea of the at least one birds-eye view according to whether or not oneor more road markers exclusive the rightmost road marker and theleftmost road marker appear in the panorama area; comparing the distanceinformation of each two adjacent pixels of the detection area,determining a distance difference between the distances indicated by thetwo adjacent pixels is more than a preset range, and further determiningwhether or not the number of the determined two adjacent pixels is morethan a preset value, to determine whether or not one or more objectsappear in the detection area of the at least one birds-eye view;obtaining the humidity of air detected by a humidity sensor when one ormore objects appear in the detection area of the at least one birds-eyeview; and determining the at least one birds-eye view when the obtainedhumidity of air is greater than the preset humidity value, determine atleast one camera corresponding to the at least one birds-eye view, andcontrolling a driving device to turn on at least one pair of lightscorresponding to the determined at least one camera.
 16. The storagemedium as described in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:determining a geometry constructed by the rightmost road marker, theleftmost road marker, and two lines connected between the rightmost roadmarker and the leftmost road marker when the rightmost road marker andthe leftmost road marker appear in at least one birds-eye view,determining the area of the geometry; determining a side perpendicularto the geometry, determining a high of the side, and further determiningthat the panorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multipliedby the high of the side.
 17. The storage medium as described in claim15, wherein the method further comprises: determining a geometryconstructed by the rightmost road marker, the leftmost side of thebirds-eye view, and two lines connected between the rightmost roadmarker and the leftmost side of the birds-eye view when the rightmostroad marker appears in at least one birds-eye view, determining the areaof the geometry; determine a side perpendicular to the geometry,determining a high of the side, and further determining that thepanorama area is equal to the area of the geometry multiplied by thehigh of the side.
 18. The storage medium as described in claim 15,wherein the method further comprises: determining a geometry constructedby the leftmost road marker, the rightmost side of the birds-eye view,and two lines connected between the leftmost road marker and therightmost side of the birds-eye view when the leftmost road markerappears in at least one birds-eye view, determining the area of thegeometry; determining a side perpendicular to the geometry, determine ahigh of the side, and further determining that the panorama area isequal to the area of the geometry multiplied by the high of the side.19. The storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the methodfurther comprises: determining that the detection area of the at leastone birds-eye view is the panorama view without the one or more roadmarks exclusive the rightmost road marker and the leftmost road markerwhen one or more road marks exclusive the rightmost road marker and theleftmost road marker appear in the panorama view.
 20. The storage mediumas described in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:determining that the detection area of the at least one birds-eye viewis the panorama view when no road mark exclusive the rightmost roadmarker and the leftmost road marker appears in the panorama view.